Filing units

ABSTRACT

A multidrawer filing unit is disclosed including a cabinet and one or more drawers of uninsulated construction, with an insulated vault case inserted in a section corresponding to one drawer space. The access opening of the vault case is aligned with a front opening of the cabinet. A drawer for the vault case has an insulated front which provides an interfitting closure for the access opening of the vault case and also closes the aligned front opening of the cabinet.

United States Patent Drum et al.

1 5] Dec.12,1972

1541 FILING UNITS [72] Inventors: James R. Drum; Philip A. Temple,

both of Muscatine, Iowa [73] Assignee: Hon Industries Inc., Muscatine,

Iowa

[22] Filed: Feb. 16, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 11,649

[52] US. Cl. ..3l2/214 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47b 81/00, F25d 11/00 [58] Field of Search ....312/2l4, 215; 109/41, 53, 56,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,186,597 6/1916 Mosler et a1 ..109/57 Dean et a1. .11....312/214 Primary Examiner--Pau1 R. Gilliam Attorney-Pendleton, Neuman, Williams & Anderson [57] ABSTRACT A multidrawer filing unit is disclosed including a cabinet and one or more drawers of uninsulated construction, with an insulated vault case inserted in a section corresponding to one drawer space. The access opening of the vault case is aligned with a front opening of the cabinet. A drawer for the vault case has an insulated front which provides an interfitting closure for the access opening of the vault case and also closes the aligned front opening of the cabinet.

18 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures PATENTED UEB 12 m2 SHEET 1 BF 5 PATENTED DEC 12 m2 SHEET 2 OF 5 z flm 5 z WW6 a 2 07. wk 6 a O a a 1 4 a FILING UNITS This invention relates to file storage unitsand more particularly pertains to providing a file unit with one or more fire-insulated storage compartments in a file cabinet or the like of noninsulated construction.

Insulated file storage units of many types have been known previously. Two common prior approaches toward providing satisfactory fire protection for documents or the like have been to provide file cabinets in which the entire unit is of insulated construction, i.e., all file storage space in the cabinet is insulated from external fire or other heat sources. Another approach has been to provide an independent insulated vault unit which is mounted inside a larger storage space, e.g. in a combination file storage unit, such as a desk combination, secretary, or other combination construction.

However there remains an apparent need for an economical manner in which to provide a limited amount of fire-insulated storage space, such as for small offices or home use, where a complete insulated cabinet or a combination unit of the type indicated above is not needed or satisfactory. For instance, multidrawer units which are fully insulated may result in weights which preclude convenient handling and/or which are unacceptable in many locations due to floor loading limitations. In particular itappears desirable to be able to economically provide one or more insulated storage compartments within a filing unit having conventional file storage space and which may be produced by techniques applicable to the production of conventional file furniture.

It is an object of this invention to provide improvements in file units which afford both insulated and noninsulated storage space in the same unit.

It is another object of this invention to provide file units which maybe produced economically and which include one or more storage spaces protected from fire, and particularly to provide such units which also include non-insulated storage spaces.

It is another object of this invention to provide improvements in file units whereby one or more fire-insulated storage spaces may be provided within a file unit of otherwise conventional noninsulated construction.

It is also an object to provide a multidrawer file unit having at least one insulated drawer space and at least one noninsulated drawer space with a common locking system for all drawers therein.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved insulated file vault unit.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an insulated file vault unit having good fire-protection qualities and which is simple and economical to produce.

It is another object to provide such a file vault unit which is adapted to be mounted in file units of generally conventional construction and affording a conventional external appearance of the complete file unit.

Further and additional objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the description, the accomvault case is provided in the cabinet and is disposed with its access opening accessible through one of the cabinet access openings. A file drawer extending into said vault case is provided with an insulated front closure member for closing the vault access opening to thereby provide a closed fire-insulated vault. The front closure member is of a configuration to also close said respective cabinet access opening in the manner of a normal drawer front when .in closed relation with the vault case.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be had to the embodiments illustrated in greater detail in the accompanying drawings and described below by way of examples of the invention. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a 4-drawer file unit employing teachings of this invention, and shown with two of its drawers removed and a third drawer partially withdrawn for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a drawer unit with an insulated front, for the vault case in the bottom drawer space of the cabinet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the insulated vault case of the cabinet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical section of the file cabinet of FIG. 1, with parts of the upper drawers, supports and frame omitted;

FIG. 4a is an enlarged partial section taken along line 4a-4a of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged back viewof the vault case of FIG. 3 showing the rear panel of the outer shell being installed;

FIG. 7 is a back view of the jamb assembly for the vault case of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged section of one element of the jamb assembly of FIG. 7, taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 9 is an end view of one element of the shell of the vault case of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a back view of one element of the outer shell of the vault case of FIG. 3;

FIG. 11 is .a perspective view, on a reduced scale, of the assembled inner shell, outer shell and jamb for the vault case of FIG. 3, as assembled for receiving the insulation material;

FIG. 12 is a front view of the jamb assembly for the front of the drawer unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 13 is a back view of an assembly for the drawer front, prepared to receive the insulation material;

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the assembly of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged partial section taken along line l515 of FIG. 13 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGS. 16 and 17 are a front view and a side view, respectively, of the sub-front of the drawer unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 18 is a side view of a file drawer assembly as used for forming a drawer unit as in FIG. 2;

FIG. 19 is a side elevation view, partially in section, of a 2-drawer file unit employing teachings of this invention, and

inner FIG. 20 is a front view of the file unit of FIG. 19, with parts broken away.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the file unit 22 comprises a cabinet 24 including an inner frame 26 and an outer housing comprising a top wall 28, side walls 30 and 31, and a back wall 32 (FIG. 4), which may be of conventional construction. By way of example, the frame may be of metal channel members and the housing may be of sheet metal appropriately formed and secured as in known metal file cabinet constructions. The cabinet 24 is provided with appropriate openings 33 in its front wall and with conventional track channels 34 and cooperating drawer supports, such as cradles 35, to receive and slidably suspend three conventional drawers 36 in the upper three drawer sections. These drawers 36 include front closure panels 37.

Referring also to FIGS. 2-4, the bottom section 240 of the cabinet 24 is adapted to receive and include therein an insulated vault unit 38. The unit 38 comprises an insulated case 40 and a drawer unit 42 having an insulated front 44. The drawer unit 42 includes a file drawer section 46 which may be of conventional construction, as of sheet metal, with the insulated front 44 attached thereto, as will be described further below. The case 40 is provided with conventional drawer support elements, such as channels 34a, to receive and movably suspend the drawer 42 therein in a conventional manner, as on a cradle 35a. The insulated front 44 cooperates with the case 40 to form a closed insulated storage vault when the drawer 42 is closed as in FIG. 4.

The front opening 50 in the lower section 24a of the cabinet unit 24 is of appropriate dimensions to receive the vault case 40 therethrough, and the front 44 of the drawer unit 42 is adapted to close this opening 50 in the manner of a conventional drawer front panel, see FIG. 4 and see also FIG. 20. The walls of the vault case 40 are insulated and are of adequate thickness to obtain heat insulating values necessary for protecting materials stored therein e.g., to provide fire protection for stored documents. Thereby the storage space 51 within the vault is of lesser dimensions than the outer dimensions of the vault case.

As best seen in FIG. 4, the lower section 2401 of the cabinet is of a greater vertical height, between frame members 252 and 254, than a corresponding superjacent section which receives a conventional file drawer 36. This added height affords an opening 50 of sufficient height to accommodate a vault 40 with an inner storage space 51 of conventional height for a letter file section 46. Referring to the width dimensions for a preferred embodiment, the cabinet 24 and drawers 36 may be of a width for legal files, e.g., file sections 18 inches wide and the vault 40 may be of internal dimensions to receive a section 46 of a width for standard letter files, e.g., a file section inches wide. Thus the cabinet 24 is of uniform external width, and the various file units are of standard widths whereby standard filing components may be utilized, despite the thickness of the walls of the vault 38. The length of each file section is governed by the horizontal depth of the file unit, with allowance for the thickness of the front and back vault walls in the instance of file drawer section 46.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 for a more specific description of the vault case, case 40 includes side walls 52 and 54, a-top wall 56, a bottom wall 58 and a rear wall 60, with a front jamb assembly 62. The walls 52-60 each are of sandwich construction comprising the respective portions of an inner shell 64 and an outer shell 66, with appropriate insulating material 69 therebetween. An elongated slot 70 is provided in the wall 54 to receive a locking pin 72 (see FIG. 1).

Referring further to FIGS. 7 and 8, the jamb assembly 62 if formed of four jamb elements, comprising side elements 73 and 74, a top element 76 and a bottom element 78. Each of these elements is of the cross section shown in FIG. 8 and may be formed of sheet metal. The cross section includes a generally U-shaped portion comprising a bight or outer face section 80, an outer return flange 82 and an inner return section 84. The distal edge of the section 84 is integral with the base 86 of a generally T-shaped portion comprising the base 86 and a cross bar 87 which is integral with base 86. The cross bar 87 includes a forward flange 88, comprising a section 88a extending from base 86 parallel to section 84 and a reverse bent contiguous section 88b, and a rearwardly extending flange 90 which is coplanar with section 88b. It will be observed that the overall cross-sectional configuration of each jamb element is of generally S-shape, with a forwardly extending leg comprising the flange 90.

.As seen in FIG. 7, the four jamb elements, having appropriate matching stepped end configurations, are secured together, as by spot welding corner braces 92 and 94 on the inner surfaces of adjacent portions of the respective flanges and 86 to form the rectangular jamb assembly 62. A small rectangular slot 96 is formed through flange to accommodate a latch bar of the drawer, referred to further below.

The side walls of the inner shell 64 comprise a pair of substantially identical right-angular sheet metal members 100, see FIG. 9. Each of these members includes a side wall panel 102, with an attachment flange 104, and a further wall panel 106 extending at right angles to panel 102. Two such members 100 are joined in complementary configuration to form a rectangular sleeve for the inner shell, with the flange 104 of one member 100 overlapping the distal edge of the wall panel 106 of the other member and the two members being secured together along these flanges, as by spot welding. A suitable notch 108 is formed in the front edge of the bottom wall panel 106 to register with the opening 96 in the jamb assembly 62. A suitable slot 109 (see FIG. 20), is formed in one side wall element 102 to provide the opening for the lockpin slot 70. Referring also to FIG. 1 l, the rear wall of the inner shell comprises a rear panel 110 having flanges 112 attached to the rear edge portions of panels 102 and 106, as by spot welding.

As seen in FIG. 5, a transverse stiffener 113, extends across the midportion of the bottom wall of the inner shell 64 and is secured to this wall, as by spot welding. While the illustrated stiffener 113 is of hat-shape in cross section, other cross sections may be utilized. Right and left case tracks 34a of conventional form are suitably secured in the lower comers of the inner shell, and a cradle stop 114 is secured in the center front portion of the bottom wall, also as by spot welding.

The assembled inner shell 64 fits over the inwardly extending flanges 90 of the jamb assembly 62, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, and is suitably secured to these flanges, as by spot welding.

With reference to FIG. as well as to FIGS. 4 and 5, the outer shell 66 is formed of two substantially identical right-angular sheet metal components 116. Each element 116 includes a side wall panel 118, with an attachment flange 120 extending along one longitudinal edge thereof, and a further wall panel 122 integral with and extending from the opposite edge, as illustrated. Each of the panels 118 and 122 is provided with an inwardly extending narrow flange along its rear edge, as at 124 and 126. A reinforcing strip 127 may be provided along the edge of panel 122 immediately adjacent flange 126 and be spot welded in place.

Two right-angular elements 116 are assembled in complementary configuration to form a rectangular sleeve for an outer shell 66, with the flanges 120 in underlapping relation to the distal edges of panels 122 (see FIG. 6) the two components being secured together as by spot welding along the flanges 120. The two panels 122 form the top and bottom walls of the shell 66. A suitable slot 127 (FIG. is formed in one side wall panel 118 to provide an opening therethrough for the lockpin slot 711. The flanges 124 and 126 serve as retainer flanges for a flat plate 128 (FIG. 6), which forms the rear wall of the outer shell 66.

The forward end of the sleeve of the outer shell 66 is inserted in jamb assembly 62, with the respective front edge portions of the wall sections 118 and 122 fitting along the inner surfaces of the outer flanges 82 as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.

The illustrated embodiment utilizes insulating material 68 which is cast in situ. To this end, the subassembly illustrated in FIG. 11, comprising the jamb assembly 62, the inner shell 64 and the sleeve of the outer shell, forms a receptacle or mold form for receiving the insulating material in plastic or slurry form. In one convenient arrangement, the indicated subassembly is erected with its open back upward, as in FIG. 11, for pouring of the mix of insulation material. Tape may be applied over the joint between the flanges 82 and the interfltting forward end portions of the outer shell sleeve to avoid leakage of the insulation material during assembly. Also, appropriate sealing materials may be applied to the corner joints and seams of the abovedescribed subassembly and a plastic bag 1311 (FIGS. 4 and 5) may be placed over the inner shell 64 prior to pouring of the insulating mix to avoid leakage of the material prior to its setting. The bag 130, which may be of polyethylene, covers the rear and side walls of shell 64, and also acts as a moisture barrier between the insulating material and the inner storage area in a completed insulated case 40. A plastic sleeve 132 (see FIG. 20) extends through slots 109 and 127, and through the side wall of the bag 1311, to provide the open slot 70 through the vault wall after the insulation is cast and set. Wire mesh reinforcing may be placed in the cavity between the inner shell and the outer shell, as desired.

The insulation material is then poured into the subassembly in appropriate quantity to fill the cavity between the inner shell and the outer shell to a level slightly below the underside of the rear flanges 124 and 126. Reinforcing wire mesh 134 may be placed in the slurry in spaced relation to the rear panel of the inner shell (see FIG. 6) either before, during, or immediately after the pouring operation. Care should be takento insure filling of all corners and cavities in the vault case walls, avoiding the formation of air pockets or voids. Various insulation mixes are available. Lightweight cement or gypsum, with expanded aggregate or asbestos fibers added, suitable cellular plastics, ceramics or other materials may be utilized as appropriate to the wall thickness and the temperatures to be encountered.

The rear wall panel 128 of the outer shell is positioned by sliding it over the flange 126 of the top panel of the outer shell and beneath the flanges 124 of the side panels and the flange 126 of the bottom panel, as illustrated in FIG. 6, to complete the vault case assembly.

After the insulation mix has set, the vault case is ready for installation in a tile unit. The adhesion and friction engagement of the set insulation with the wall surfaces and its interlocking engagement with components such as the stiffening rib 113 are adequate to retain the inner shell, the insulation and the outer shell in their assembled relationship, though mechanical securement of the outer shell 66 to the jamb assembly 62 may be effected if desired.

Referring now to FIGS. 12, 13, 14 and 15, the insulated front 44 for the drawer unit of the vault includes a jamb assembly 141), a front cover 142 bearing a handle 144 and a latch assembly 146. The jamb assembly is a rectangular frame comprising a pair of side elements 148 and 1511, a top element 152 and a bottom element 154. As illustrated by the element 154 in FIGS. 13 and 15, each of these elements is of a cross section comprising an outer attachment flange 156, an inwardly extending section 158 which is substantially at right angles to the flange 156 but is tapered slightly inward (to provide an included angle therebetween of slightly greater than 90), an inner transverse section 160, a return U-shaped channel portion 162 comprising an outer leg 164, a bight portion 166 and an inner leg 168, and an inwardly extending inner flange 170. Inner leg 168 of channel portion 162 is somewhat longer than leg 164, to extend inward beyond the plane of section 1611. On the bottom element 154, the inner leg 168' is slightly shorter than the legs 168 on the other elements, whereby the inner flange 170' is offset inward from the flanges 170 of the other elements of jamb 140, as shown in FIG. 15. Each of the jamb elements is of integral construction, and the various flanges and sections extend at right angles to the joining sections, except for the relation of section 158 to flange 156 and to the inner section 160. The four jamb elements 148-154 are assembled with the various flanges and sections in matching relationship, except for the inward offset of flange 170', as illustrated. The four elements are secured to one another by corner braces 172 and 174 which overlie the outer surfaces of the adjacent portions of sections and 170, respectively, of the abutting jamb elements at each corner (see FIG. 12) and are secured thereto as by spot welding.

The front cover 142 is of shallow pan configuration and may be formed of a unitary piece of sheet material. The cover includes a front panel 176, return edge portions 1178 extending rearwardly at right angles from the panel 176, and flanges 180 extending inwardly from the inner edges of the return portions 178. The flanges 180 are secured to the flanges 156 of the jamb elements, as by spot welding. A stiffener element 182 may be secured to the inner surface of the panel 176 to serve as reinforcement for the attachment of the handle 144 which is attached on the front face of this panel.

The latch assembly 146 includes an upright support 184 of shallow hat shape in cross section and secured at its lower end to the outer surface of flange 170 of the lower jamb element 154. A cover plate 186 secured to the support 184 slidably receives a latch bar 188 disposed in alignment with an opening 189 (FIG. 14) through a portion of section 168 of the element 154 adjacent the flange 170 thereof. The upper end of the latch bar carries a yoke which is engaged by the outer end portion of a latch cam 190 which is pivotally mounted on a latch rod 192. A hollow cylindrical spacer 194 (FIG. 14) extends between the support 184 and the inner surface of the panel 176. Latch rod 192 extends from the cam 190 through the spacer 194 and outward through panel 176. A thumb latch operating finger 196 is secured to the outer end of rod 192, which is adjacent the handle 144 in a position whereby an operator gripping the handle 144 with his fingers may convenientlymanipulate the latch finger 196 with his fingers may conveniently manipulate the latch finger 196 with his thumb to rotate the rod 192 and thereby lift the latch bar 189 to unlatch the drawer for normal opening movement. A spring 198 secured to the cam arm 190 and to a fixed pin 200 biases the latch bar to a normal extended or latching position.

It will be appreciated that the vault front assembly thus far described, and as illustrated in FIG. 13, comprises a receptacle defined by the front 142 and the jamb assembly 140, with the latch mechanism installed. The corner joints and seams may be suitably .sealed with appropriate sealing compound as necessary, and this cavity is then filled with insulation material 68 in the same manner as noted above with respect to the vault case. That is,the front is positioned with the open back upward and a suitable insulation mix in plastic or slurry form is poured in, with due care to insure against entrapment of air and to insure that all portions of the cavity are filled, including the spaces around the stiffener 182, the latch mechanism and other components. Puddling of the insulation material and vibration will assist in insuring complete filling and the avoidance of entrapment of air to form voids. The portions of the latch at the rear side of the support 184 may be covered with tape, if desired, to protect these components during the filling operation. The front assembly is filled to the level of the lower edge of the lock bar slot 189 in flange 168, e.g., to a level about halfway between the inner surface of section 160 and the outer surface of flange I70.

FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate a drawer subfront which forms the front wall of the file drawer section 46 of FIGS. 2 and 18, and also serves as the closure of the back opening of the front assembly of FIGS. 13 and 14. The subfront 204 is of shallow pan configuration comprising a major panel 206 with upstanding side sections 208, 210, 212 and 214 at the sides, top and bottom, respectively. Mounting flanges 216, 218, 220 and 222 extend outwardly from the outer edges of the side sections, generally parallel to the plane of the major panel 206, as illustrated.

Referring further to FIGS. 2 and 18, the file drawer section 46 may be of conventional construction, being formed of sheet metal and including side walls 224 and 226, a bottom 228 and a rear wall 230. OUtwardly protruding support ribs 232 and 234 extend along the lower portion of each side wall. Such ribs may be formed as separate metal members which are attached to the side wall elements, or may be formed as an outwardly extending hem or seam fold in a unitary piece of sheet metal forming the respective side wall. A lock tab 236 is provided on one side wall, as by being struck therefrom or by welding a tab thereon, and a stop 238 with a bumper 240 is provided on the bottom. The forward ends of the side walls and bottom overlap theside sections 208, 210 and 214 of the subfront 204 and these overlapping portions are secured together, as by spot welding. v

The insulated front subassembly described above is assembled with the drawer section subassembly of FIG. 18 by sliding engagement of the flanges 170 over the flanges 208, 210 and 220. That is, the flanges 208, 210 and 220 slide over the flange 170 of the bottom jamb element 154 and behind the flanges 170 of the side and top jamb elements 148, 150 and 152, until the flange 220 underlies the flange 170 of the top jamb element 152 and the flange 222 overlies the recessed flange 170' of bottom jamb element 154. Fasteners such as sheet metal screws 242 (FIG. 4) are then applied through appropriate matching openings, such as the openings 244 and 246 (see FIGS. 13 and 16) to secure the respective flanges together. The completed assembly comprises the drawer unit 42 shown in FIG. 2.

The drawer unit 42 may be supported in the vault case 40 by suitable conventional slide supports. By way of illustration, and referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, channels 34a receive a cradle assembly 35a which receives the drawer section 46. Various rollers are provided, generally as illustrated in FIG. 4, to insure easy sliding movement of the drawer 42 within the cradle 35a and of the cradle 35a within the channels 34a. Appropriate stop elements are provided,for instance as indicated generally at 246 and 248, to cooperate with the cradle stop 114 and the stop element 238-240 to avoid unintentional complete withdrawal of the drawer unit.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 4 (see also FIG. 20), it will be observed that the vault case 40 is of outer lateral dimension slightly less than the dimensions of opening 50. Thus, the case 40 conveniently is inserted through the opening 50 of a completed cabinet 24 and rests on the bottom frame elements 250 and 252 of the cabinet. The forward sections of the vault case jamb 62 are spaced inwardly from the plane of the front of the cabinet a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the front cover element 142 and the attached flange 156. Fasteners 256 are applied through member 252 and the flange 82 and the superjacent edge portion of the outer case 66.

Referring particularly to FIG. 4a, the reentrant cavity 162 of the front jamb assembly mates with the forwardly extending flanges 88 of the case jamb assembly 62 in interdigital relation. Thus, upon closure of the drawer 42 into the case 40 mounted in the cabinet,

the drawer front 44 closes the cabinet opening in the manner of a normal drawer front, flush with the cabinet side elements 258, and simultaneously interfits with the vault case to provide a complete insulated vault unit 38 in the lower section of the cabinet 24. The inclined flange sections 158 assist in assuring easy engagement of the jamb assemblies as the drawer- 42 is closed. The interdigital mating engagement of the flanges 88 with the re-entrant portions 162 together with the interfitting relationship of the remaining components provide good insulating properties for the thus closed vault unit 38. By way of a particular explanation, the path for fire or heat entry from outside of the cabinet, through the joint between the case and the drawer front, extends between the peripheral edges of the front panel unit M2 and the surrounding framing elements (252, 254, 258) of the cabinet access opening 50, thence between the jamb section 80 and the door jamb flange 156, thence inwardly between the case jamb section 84 and the door jamb section 158, thence between the case jamb section 86 and the door jamb section 160, and finally, around a further U-shaped path between the forwardly extending flange 88 and the respective side portions 164, 166 and 168 of the re-entrant portion 162 of the door jamb assembly. The design of the case 40 also appears to cause any water of combination from the insulation, normally released under high temperature conditions, to be expelled around the edges of the jamb assemblies into the heat path between the door and the case and into the case cavity, thereby enhancing the protection of the stored materials.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20 comprises a 2-drawer unit 22A including a cabinet 24A and a single upper conventional file drawer 36, with a vault unit 38 mounted in the lower section in the same manner described above with respect to unit 22, like numbers being applied to like components. The locking mechanism illustrated more particularly with respect to this embodiment includes a key-operated reciprocating plunger 260 joined to an operating arm 262 which isattached to one leg of a bell crank element 264. The bell crank element 264 is joined to a fixed frame member 266 of the cabinet assembly. A latch bar 268 is pivotally joined to the bell crank element 264 in a manner to be reciprocated vertically as the plunger the the operating arm 262 are reciprocated horizontally, in a known manner. The latch arrangement illustrated for the drawer 36 in FIG. 19 is a known latch arrangement, comprising a tab 270 struck from the bar 268 in a location such that it is positioned in front of a stop tab 272 on the drawer 36 when the plunger 260 is in its inner position, and to be out of the way of the tab 272 when the plunger 260 is in its outer position.

To effect locking of the drawer 42, the lockpin 72 referred to above with respect to FIG. 1, threadably engages a clip 274 of a known type which is mounted on the lock bar 268. The clip may have limited sliding movement for adjustment along the bar 268 in the area opposite the position of the slot 70 of a vault case mounted in the cabinet 24A. After installation of a vault case 60 in the cabinet, the pin 72 is inserted through the slot 70 and loosely threadably engaged in the clip 274. The clip is then adjusted by the pin to a position to permit the desired locking and unlocking movement of the pin relative to the drawer tab 236,

along slot 70, as the locking bar is reciprocated through its normal locking and unlocking movement. Thereupon the pin is tightened to simultaneously secure the clip 274 in its desired position on the bar 268 and to firmly secure the pin 72 thereto. Thereafter the pin 72 will move to an interfering position in front of the tab 236 when the lock bar 268 is in its locking. position, and will avoid the stop 236 when the latch bar is moved to its normal unlatched position. Thus a locking arrangement is provided which permits locking of the insulated drawer by the same operations and with the same general mechanism which effects locking and unlocking of the conventional drawers in the same file unit.

The lockpin slot is small in size and is covered by the overlying lock bar 268 and by the outer case wall 31. Thus the slot does not constitute a serious compromise of the insulating integrity of the vault and permits a convenient locking arrangement as described.

The components of the hand latch 1 86 described above, as well as the vaultcase shells, the jamb assemblies and the drawer front all are preferably formed of steel or similar temperature-resistant materials. When the drawer 42 is closed in case 40, the latch bar 188 on the drawer front 44 engages the slot 96 in the case jamb 62 to retain the drawer in its closed position and to maintain the front 44 in its closed mating position with the case jamb. As this latch arrangement is independent of the remainder of the tile unit, it will insure maintenance of the drawer and the insulating front in closed position to maintain the integrity of the insulated vault despite failure or collapse of the remainder of the cabinet or related components.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications and embodiments of the specific file units disclosed herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Particular construction and fabrication details of one embodiment are disclosed only by way of example, and the various components may be fabricated and assembled in accordance with other practices. For instance, the case shells may be formed of other subcomponents than the L-shaped components described, the jamb units may be formed integrally in draw dies, the outer cabinet may be of other designs, and other means may be used for securing the various components together. The insulated vault unit may be utilized in various types of filing furniture, including various file or storage cabinets, desks, credenzas, secretaries or other units having separate storage compartments.

Further, the independent insulated case may be installed in the cabinet through other openings and/or at other stages of the assembly of the filing unit in some installations. However, providing for installation through the front opening is preferred. This permits complete fabrication of the cabinet by production techniques applicable to such cabinets, apart from the fabrication and installation of the insulated unit.

It will thus be seen that improvements have been provided in file units which meet the aforestated objects. Among other factors, the aforedescribed file units utilize cabinets of generally conventional construction which may be formed by modern economical production techniques. The vault units are of simple structure, formed of components which also may be economically llll produced and assembled, and provide good design for fire protection. Further the vault units are easily and simply installed in the cabinets to include one or more insulated storage spaces in a unit of otherwise uninsulated construction.

The overall resulting file unit is of a design to retain the clean lines and uniform closure design of a conventional multidrawer file unit.

While particular embodiments of this invention are shown and described herein, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto, since many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the teachings herein. It is contemplated, therefore, by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A storage unit comprising a self-supporting cabinet of non-insulated construction having an access opening through one wall thereof, an insulated vault case disposed within said cabinet inward of said access opening, said insulated case defining an enclosed storage cavity therein and having an access opening to said cavity aligned with and adjacent to said cabinet access opening, and an insulated closure member conforming to said vault access opening and to said cabinet access opening for simultaneously closing both said vault access opening and said cabinet access opening.

2. A storage unit as in claim 1 including a file drawer slidably received in said vault case through said access openings, and said closure member being secured to the outer end of said drawer. V

3. A storage unit as in claim 2 including locking means for said drawer comprising a reciprocable member disposed along one exterior wall of said vault case, and means extending through said vault case wall for locking engagement with said drawer as said member is reciprocated.

4. A storage unit as in claim 1 including drawer slide supports mounted in said vault case, a file drawer, means for slidably supporting said drawer on said supports for sliding movement through said access openings, and said closure member being secured to the outer end of said drawer.

5. A storage unit as in claim 1 wherein portions of said insulated vault case around said vault access opening are exposed through said cabinet access opening when said closure member is open, and said closure member extends over said portions of said vault case around said access opening therein when closed.

6. A storage unit as in claim 1 wherein said vault case is of transverse dimensions corresponding generally to the dimensions of said cabinet access opening for installation in said cabinet through said cabinet access opening.

7. A storage unit as in claim 6 wherein said closure member is received in said cabinet access opening with its outer surface generally coplanar with the portions of said wall around said cabinet access opening when closed.

8. A storage unit as in claim 1 wherein said vault case includes a forwardly projecting lip circumjacent said vault access opening and a surrounding wall end section spaced outwardly from said lip and exposed through said cabinet access opening when said closure member is open, the forward end of said vault case being spaced inwardly of the outer surface of said one wall of said cabinet, and said closure member including a channel section engaging over said lip and an insulated front section extending over said surrounding wall end section.

9. A storage unit as in claim 8 wherein the outer surface of said closure member is generally coplanar with said outer surface of said one wall of said cabinet when closed.

10. A storage unit comprising a self-supporting cabinet of non-insulated construction and having a plu rality of storage sections each having an access opening thereto through one wall of said cabinet, a fire-insulated vault unit disposed within one of said sections, said vault unit including fire-insulated wall portions .enclosing a storage cavity and having an access opening to said cavity aligned with and adjacent to the respective cabinet access opening for direct access to said insulated storage cavity through said aligned openings, and an insulated closure member for closing said vault access opening, said closure member being of a configuration to close said respective cabinet access opening when in closed relation with said vault unit access opening.

11. A storage unit as in claim 10 including a tile drawer slidably received in said insulated vault unit through said aligned access openings, and said insulated closure member being attached to the front of said drawer.

12. A storage unit as in claim 10 including a file drawer unit slidably received in each of said sections, one of said drawers being slidably received in said vault through said aligned access openings, and said insulated closure member being attached to the front of said one of said drawers.

13. A storage unit as. in claim 12 in which said storage sections are disposed in vertical alignment with one another, each of said drawers including a front closure member, and said closure members being of uniform width.

14. A storage unit as in claim 13 wherein the outer surface of each of said closure members is substantially coplanar with the outer surface of said one wall of said cabinet when said drawers are closed.

15. A storage unit as in claim 12 in which said drawer units are disposed in vertical juxtaposition with one another and including locking means for said drawers comprising a vertically reciprocable member extending along one side of said drawers and external to said vault unit, means for effecting locking engagement with each of said drawers exterior to said vault unit as said member is reciprocated, and means extending through the adjacent side of said vault unit for locking engagement with said drawer therein as said member is reciprocated.

16. A storage unit as in claim 15 wherein said reciprocable member is vertically reciprocable along one side wall of said vault unit, said means for locking said drawer in said vault unit comprising an element fixed to said reciprocable member, and means on said last-mentioned drawer for engaging said element in one position of such element.

17. A storage unit comprising a rectangular case having insulated walls and an access opening defined by a LII said flange and said lip portion of said case are covered by said closure when said closure is closed.

18. A storage unit as in claim 17 wherein said lip portion of said case includes inner and outer shell sections with insulation material therebetween.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to CERTIFKCATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3 705 754 T I Dated lgece mbe r 1,2, 1222 Inventoflg) James R. Drum and Philip A. Temple It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, line 12, "if" should read is Column 7,- lines 28, 29 and 30, delete "with his fingers may conveniently manipulate the latch finger 196"; Column 8, line 7, "OUtwardly" should read Outwardly Column 9, line 46, after "plunger" insert and Column 12, I line 33 (claim 12), after "drawer delete unit and Column 12, line 34 (claim 12) after "vault" insert unit Signed and sealed this 22nd day of May 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. A storage unit comprising a self-supporting cabinet of noninsulated construction having an access opening through one wall thereof, an insulated vault case disposed within said cabinet inward of said access opening, said insulated cAse defining an enclosed storage cavity therein and having an access opening to said cavity aligned with and adjacent to said cabinet access opening, and an insulated closure member conforming to said vault access opening and to said cabinet access opening for simultaneously closing both said vault access opening and said cabinet access opening.
 2. A storage unit as in claim 1 including a file drawer slidably received in said vault case through said access openings, and said closure member being secured to the outer end of said drawer.
 3. A storage unit as in claim 2 including locking means for said drawer comprising a reciprocable member disposed along one exterior wall of said vault case, and means extending through said vault case wall for locking engagement with said drawer as said member is reciprocated.
 4. A storage unit as in claim 1 including drawer slide supports mounted in said vault case, a file drawer, means for slidably supporting said drawer on said supports for sliding movement through said access openings, and said closure member being secured to the outer end of said drawer.
 5. A storage unit as in claim 1 wherein portions of said insulated vault case around said vault access opening are exposed through said cabinet access opening when said closure member is open, and said closure member extends over said portions of said vault case around said access opening therein when closed.
 6. A storage unit as in claim 1 wherein said vault case is of transverse dimensions corresponding generally to the dimensions of said cabinet access opening for installation in said cabinet through said cabinet access opening.
 7. A storage unit as in claim 6 wherein said closure member is received in said cabinet access opening with its outer surface generally coplanar with the portions of said wall around said cabinet access opening when closed.
 8. A storage unit as in claim 1 wherein said vault case includes a forwardly projecting lip circumjacent said vault access opening and a surrounding wall end section spaced outwardly from said lip and exposed through said cabinet access opening when said closure member is open, the forward end of said vault case being spaced inwardly of the outer surface of said one wall of said cabinet, and said closure member including a channel section engaging over said lip and an insulated front section extending over said surrounding wall end section.
 9. A storage unit as in claim 8 wherein the outer surface of said closure member is generally coplanar with said outer surface of said one wall of said cabinet when closed.
 10. A storage unit comprising a self-supporting cabinet of non-insulated construction and having a plurality of storage sections each having an access opening thereto through one wall of said cabinet, a fire-insulated vault unit disposed within one of said sections, said vault unit including fire-insulated wall portions enclosing a storage cavity and having an access opening to said cavity aligned with and adjacent to the respective cabinet access opening for direct access to said insulated storage cavity through said aligned openings, and an insulated closure member for closing said vault access opening, said closure member being of a configuration to close said respective cabinet access opening when in closed relation with said vault unit access opening.
 11. A storage unit as in claim 10 including a file drawer slidably received in said insulated vault unit through said aligned access openings, and said insulated closure member being attached to the front of said drawer.
 12. A storage unit as in claim 10 including a file drawer unit slidably received in each of said sections, one of said drawers being slidably received in said vault through said aligned access openings, and said insulated closure member being attached to the front of said one of said drawers.
 13. A storage unit as in claim 12 in which said storage sections are disposed in vertical alignment with one another, each of said drawers iNcluding a front closure member, and said closure members being of uniform width.
 14. A storage unit as in claim 13 wherein the outer surface of each of said closure members is substantially coplanar with the outer surface of said one wall of said cabinet when said drawers are closed.
 15. A storage unit as in claim 12 in which said drawer units are disposed in vertical juxtaposition with one another and including locking means for said drawers comprising a vertically reciprocable member extending along one side of said drawers and external to said vault unit, means for effecting locking engagement with each of said drawers exterior to said vault unit as said member is reciprocated, and means extending through the adjacent side of said vault unit for locking engagement with said drawer therein as said member is reciprocated.
 16. A storage unit as in claim 15 wherein said reciprocable member is vertically reciprocable along one side wall of said vault unit, said means for locking said drawer in said vault unit comprising an element fixed to said reciprocable member, and means on said last-mentioned drawer for engaging said element in one position of such element.
 17. A storage unit comprising a rectangular case having insulated walls and an access opening defined by a jamb circumscribing said opening, said jamb including a forwardly projecting flange and a forwardly projecting lip portion spaced outwardly of said flange, and an insulated closure member having a channel portion engaging over said flange and including an outwardly extending insulated lip portion overlying the entire forward surface of said lip portion of said case, whereby said flange and said lip portion of said case are covered by said closure when said closure is closed.
 18. A storage unit as in claim 17 wherein said lip portion of said case includes inner and outer shell sections with insulation material therebetween. 